


Ikigai

by caitykat21



Category: Fast and the Furious Series, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-09-07 17:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20313367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitykat21/pseuds/caitykat21
Summary: ikigai (n) - a reason for beingTakana Kamata was at the top of the food chain. She ruled alongside her brother and her boyfriend over the people of the Tokyo Underground. But a secret knocks her off the throne she holds dear and into chaos. Then, an American shows up and begins waging war against the very kingdom that she and her brother built.By losing herself and nearly losing all she knows, can she find her purpose?





	1. 一

**Author's Note:**

> All words in italics are spoken in Japanese.
> 
> Anything with an asterisk(*) means I don't actually know what was said so I just made something up.

As morning breaks in Tokyo, the iridescence of its nightlife fades, replaced by the monotone grayness of daily life. This day was particularly dreary, grey clouds covering the sky, threatening to spill their contents at any moment. The promise of rain did nothing to slow the bustling commute of workers and students alike as they make their way to their designated places.

Takana Kamata was not one of those people. She, instead, was laying in her soft bed, eyes clenched shut in an act of defiance against starting the day. She didn't hate mornings by any means, but she had, stupidly, let her boyfriend talk her into going to a party the previous night when she was well aware, as was he, that they both had school the next morning. Well, he had school, she was returning to school.

As she begins to contemplate not going to school, there's a loud knock on her door.

"_Takana! Get up!_"

The rough voice of her older brother Takashi makes her groan. Now there was no chance she was staying home. He wouldn't allow it.

"_Takana!_"

_"I'm getting up!_"

Pouting, she sits up, dangling her feet off the side of the bed as she stretches. The popping joints release some tension in her body and leave her feeling a little more ready to face the day.

The next thirty minutes are spent showering, blow-drying her hair, styling it, putting on her uniform, and collecting her books from their scattered places around her room from her attempts to study yesterday. The books, along with the obligatory laptop, are shoved into her backpack, which she carries with her out of her room, setting it in the hallway by the front door on her way to the kitchen.

"_Morning, brother._"

Takashi looks up from his phone, which looked like an expensive toy in his hand, and smiles. "_Morning, sister. You don't have much time to eat._"

Takana huffs. "_I would if someone would have woken me up when my alarm went off._"

"_Not my job._"

As Takana rushes around the kitchen, Takashi watches her closely.

"_Takana. Are you sure you're alright to go back today? You can take another few days and go back on Monday."_

"_I'm fine, brother, I promise,_" Takana assures as she drops into a seat across from him, a quick breakfast already halfway to her mouth.

"_Alright._"

The two lapse into silence as Takashi focuses his attention back on his phone and Takana quickly finishes her breakfast. Soon enough, she's placing her plate in the dishwasher and picking up her backpack, heading to the door to put her shoes on.

"_I'm leaving, Takashi!_"

"_Be careful!_"

"_Always!_"

The commute to the train station, though short, took ages, bodies pushing against hers as Tokyo fully awoke, the bustling turning to a roar.

Once at the station, the crowd compacted impossibly further, shoving down the steps. Takana wades through the multitude of people entering and already in the station, searching for the admittedly terrible blonde dyed hair of her boyfriend. Finding it, she pushes through the crowd and finally pops out next to him.

"_Takana!_" He drapes an arm over her shoulder. The action receives giggles from the females surrounding them and jeering from the males.

"_Hi, Morimoto._" Tiptoeing, she presses a quick kiss to his cheek. "_Where's Neela?_"

He gestures next to them with a hand. Looking over, Takana smiles when she finds Neela's darker tanned skin a bit further down the platform. She quickly turns back to Morimoto.

"_I'm gonna go over to her._"

He nods, lifting his arm off of her shoulders. When she moves to go over to Neela, there's a smack to her butt followed by laughing and heckling, prompting an eye roll but nothing more.

Actions like that annoyed her when they first started dating, but anymore, she felt more of a sense of endearment when he did it. It was his special way of showing affection and she's grown to love it.

"Morning, Neela," Takana greets as she comes to a stop by the other girl, grinning.

"Morning, NaNa." Neela's voice is smooth and slightly accented, though Takana, even in all her years of knowing the girl, has never figured what the accent was or where it came from. It sounded vaguely British, but it was so slight that it could only be noted on certain words.

She's immediately integrated into the conversation between the group of girls surrounding her and Neela, ultimately reverting to what she calls 'princess mode' as the girls begin to needle her about Morimoto's display.

Clasping her hands in front of her, she responds to the question of what they get up to at night with, "_What my boyfriend and I do we are alone is of no concern to you._"

The girls immediately frown, though Neela smiles and stifles a giggle before redirecting the conversation.

"_Did you hear that there's another gaijin starting school tomorrow?_"

The girls start talking over one another, spilling the rumors that they had heard circulating about the new foreign student, such as him being a fugitive, him being a runaway, him getting kicked out of every school in America, and more. Takana, relieved, locks her pinky with Neela's, staring impassively as the girls sustain themselves without her or Neela's input.

Glancing at her phone, which was was brand new due to her smashing her previous one, she pouts when she sees the time there. She had already been waiting with the other girls twenty minutes and it hadn't felt like it.

"The train will be coming soon."

Neela hums and releases her pinky. "See you at school?"

Takana smiles, nodding. She then turns and makes her way back to Morimoto's side. Once there, she nudges his arm up and hums happily when it settles over her shoulders. He pulls her closer to his body, not once pausing in his conversation with his friends. Takana leans her head against his chest, eyes drooping.

"_Don't fall asleep on me,_" Morimoto teases a moment later.

Blinking, Takana looks up to see him grinning down at her. "_If I do, it's your fault._"

"_I didn't make you go to the party last night._"

"_All but. You were practically begging._"

He scoffs. "_I don't beg._"

"_Sure, you don't,_" she responds with a giggle.

Any further response is cut off by the arrival of their designated train. The train was already halfway full, so with the addition of all of the students on the platform, plus other passengers, it quickly became packed to the point that Takana was pressed closely up against Morimoto.

To occupy himself, and her, Morimoto begins stroking Takana's thigh with feather-light touches, the strokes slowly rising until his fingers begin to disappear underneath her skirt. It's at this point that Takana smacks his hand, causing the game to start over. Each time, he only gets as far as right below the hem before his hand is smacked.

The game keeps them in their own world until the loudspeaker calls out their stop.

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Homeroom, as well as the first four classes of the day, pass in a blur. Takana had, with the help of Neela, kept up to date on all of her schoolwork so she wasn't behind, even after missing three weeks of school. The teachers were surprised to see her, some even expressing that they were sure she had dropped out.

The hallways at this time of the school day are loud, all of the students glad to finally be out of their classes, and the volume of noise increases tenfold as she and Neela enter the cafeteria. The two shove through the people and get in line, filling their plates with food. When they step away, Neela points out their usual table which was already occupied by Morimoto and various members of both of their friend groups.

Walking over, Takana sets her tray down next to Morimoto's and slides into the seat, immediately stealing food off of his tray.

"_You have your own,_" he protests.

"_Yours tastes better._"

That gets her an eye roll. "_You're a nuisance_."

"_I know._"

Neela then steals her attention.

"We should go shopping before the races tomorrow."

Takana's face brightens, but she controls herself well enough to just nod an affirmative. "I need a new outfit."

"Maybe something that covers your butt?"

A shrug. "If I have a body, why not show it off?"

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

The school day comes to an end not a moment too soon.

"The only thing I didn't miss about being sane," Takana comments to Neela as they walk arm in arm down the sidewalk on their way from the train station to her apartment.

Neela watches her best friend, concerned. "You never went insane, NaNa."

"Pretty close."

"Nowhere close," Neela insists. "Your life changed pretty drastically. I think you handled it well."

Takana scoffs. "I ran away for a week and then locked myself in my room for two weeks. That is not handling it well."

"Even so, you never went insane. Takashi wouldn't allow it and neither would Morimoto."

"And what about you?"

"If you went insane, I go insane with you." Neela chuckles. "No way I could handle these boys without you."

Takana huffs out a laugh. "If that ain't the truth."

There's a beat of silence before, "Is Morimoto picking you up?"

"I think after I get home and change. Why?" Looking over, she grins. "Oh. I get it. You want alone time with my brother."

Neela blushes, looking down. "A little."

"Alright. Just let me change real quick and I'll be out of your hair, okay?"

True to her word, Takana, after waving hello to her brother, changes out of her uniform then rushes out of the apartment to meet Morimoto, who was waiting in front of their building in his car. His heavily modified golden Nissan stood out on the street, drawing a few stares here and there, especially when he revs the engine in moments of impatience.

Sliding into the passenger seat, Takana leans over and places a kiss on his cheek before closing her door and settling into the seat. Her seatbelt is soon clicked into place, a necessity when riding with her boyfriend.

Morimoto's eyes linger on her white micro mini skirt that would have shown everything if her legs weren't pressed together. "_You look good._"

Smirking, Takana replies, "_Then your money went to good use._"

The grin on his face is lecherous as he pulls away from the curb and begins speeding down the road.

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Laying in bed next to Morimoto that night, Takana stares out the window at the Tokyo night, thoughts restless. The arm around her waist and the body pressing against hers does nothing to dispel the overwhelming sense of loneliness that she's felt for weeks. It seemed that no matter who she was with, she just couldn't get rid of the feeling. It lessened around her close circle, but it never truly disappeared.

There's a groan from behind her, shaking her from her thoughts. Morimoto shifts then presses his face against her shoulder blade. His hand begins stroking her stomach, almost as if sensing her inner turmoil. Feeling vulnerable to all her thoughts, Takana seeks solace in Morimoto's arms, turning over and burying her face into his chest. Their legs tangle together as he pulls her closer, his other arm moving to wrap around her as well, tightening as it does.

A kiss is pressed to the top of her head in a moment of affection rarely seen outside of private situations like this. Tears bubble up in Takana's eyes and she clutches the front of his shirt, trying to tether herself to the here and now and to him.

"_I'm here,_" he murmurs, pressing another kiss to her head. "_You're safe._"


	2. 二

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Italics indicate Japanese

"_Are we going to talk about last night?_"

Morimoto's question on their trek to the train station the next morning catches Takana off-guard. Closing her phone, which she had been using to distract herself, she sighs.

"_It's nothing._"

"_Takana._"

"_I'm fine, okay? Nothing to worry about._"

He pulls her to a stop. "_You are not okay. You were crying in your sleep_."

"_Mori._" Takana frowns. "_I just- I don't know what to say okay? Nothing has been easy lately and, to be honest, it's wearing me down. I'm in a constant state of anxiety, hoping and praying that no one finds out._" She doesn't mention the loneliness that gnaws at her every day because he wouldn't understand.

"_No one will find out. And even if they do, you have me, you have Neela, and you have your brother. Takashi isn't going to allow anything to happen to you. And neither will your uncle._"

"_How do you know that? I'm not who anyone thinks I am. How is Takashi supposed to protect me from that?_"

Morimoto shakes his head. "_You're still Takana Kamata. You're still the princess of drifting and you're still the princess of the underground. Nothing can change that._"

Trembling, Takana crosses her arms and steps back out of his hold. "_We have to get to the train station._"

"_Takana._"

Not looking up from the ground, Takana turns and begins walking. For a moment, she's scared that he's going to leave, but footsteps jog to catch up with her, signaling that he's following.

"_Just know that I won't abandon you,_" Morimoto says as he slows to a walk beside her.

There's no further talk of her problems, instead, the two joke about Neela spending the night with Takashi along with Morimoto teasing her about her insistence to stay the night the previous night.

Soon, they reach the station and make their way to their usual groups, parting with a brush of their wrists. A hug would settle Takana a bit more, but yesterday's PDA was a rarity for the two of them and probably wouldn't happen again in the near future.

Sneaking up behind Neela, Takana sets her chin on the girl's shoulder. Neela startles but then giggles when she turns her head to see Takana.

"Morning."

"Morning."

Stepping to the right, she settles in her normal place, closing the gap. She, Neela and the girls around them then begin talking about meaningless things like the latest clothing line, the newest makeup line, hairstyles to try, etc.

They're interrupted by a hesitant accented voice saying, "_Su- Sumimasen_."

Turning around, Takana quirks an eyebrow at the American in front of her. "_Yes?_"

The American frowns. "Oh. I actually wanted to talk to your friend there."

"_Well, you're talking to me, American._" Glancing behind the boy she can see Morimoto making his way through the crowd, eyes on the American.

Neela steps up. "_It's alright, Takana._"

"Do any of y'all speak English?" The American asks, looking between Takana and Neela

"Ah speak English," Morimoto says brokenly as he steps up to the American.

The American looks over at him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't talking to you, friend."

"I have enough friends." Morimoto motions to the group around him that had followed him through the crowd.

"That's too bad, 'cause I was gonna invite you to my pool party."

The American, done with the conversation turns back and smiles at Neela. Morimoto, not taking too kindly to the dismissal, grabs at the American's suit jacket lapel. The American's face drops and turns to face Morimoto.

"Get outta my face," he says.

"Ah can't. Japan is very crowded. Lots of assholes."

The American isn't amused, even though Takana and Neela are. "I can see that."

Tension builds between the two and Morimoto drops his bag, preparing for a fight. The American slips his bag off his shoulder and is about to drop it when Neela speaks up, saying, "I'll hold it for you."

"What?"

"I'll hold your bag for you."

Taking his bag, Neela throws it into the car of the train that was about to leave, successfully distracting the American, who chases after his bag and ends up getting closed into the wrong train.

"You'll thank me later!" Neela shouts.

Takana and Morimoto share a look before staring at Neela, who was watching the train speed by.

"Neela."

Turning to look at them, she has a sheepish smile on her face. "I didn't want any fighting."

Sighing, Takana hugs her best friend. "I didn't want any either." She looks at Morimoto. "_You're too protective._"

"_Takashi-_"

"_Takashi is too protective._"

Morimoto rolls his eyes. "_For a reason._"

"_I know there's a reason. That doesn't change that both of you are too protective._"

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah._" He takes his backpack from one of his friends as he stares at the train pulling in that would take them to school."_Try to make it to school without any more guys hitting on either of you._"

"_No promises._"

As Takana and Neela go to walk off, Morimoto grabs Takana's backpack and pulls her back, eyes narrowed and a frown on his face.

"_You're mine._"

Grinning, Takana tip-toes and presses a kiss to his cheek. "_Always._"

She then rushes onto the train, Morimoto following a moment later with a smirk on his face and swagger in his walk.

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Takana stifles a laugh when the American walks into school almost an hour late and then proceeds to get chewed out by the teacher for wearing his shoes in the classroom. The confusion on his face is evident with his scrunched eyebrows and his panicked glancing at the class and, more importantly, Neela.

The teacher has to repeat that he should be wearing slippers many more times before he's sent out of the classroom and finally figures it out. He comes back in with blue and white slippers and moves the seat to the back right of Neela and directly next to Takana. When the American looks at her, she arches an eyebrow then turns to focus on the teacher once again.

The American looks confused for most if not all of the lesson if his groan at the end of the class is anything to go by. Takana finds amusement in his confusion, though Neela looks concerned.

As she and Neela stand up, the American tries to speak to Neela.

Takana steps over so she's blocking him and then says, "_Let's go get lunch, Neela._"

Neela smiles. "_Alright._"

Picking up their bags, the two head to the lunch room, the American forgotten.

"_We could at least be nice to him,_" Neela says while the two of them are picking out their food. "_I was in his place once._"

"_I realize that, but he's not looking for a friend, NeeNee._"

The sigh Neela releases says all that needs to be said as the two join their friends and Morimoto at their usual lunch table.

Takana is content to sit and observe as Morimoto and Neela talk and joke with the others around the table. A pale movement catches her eye and she looks up to see the American looking around to find a table, possibly even to find Neela. Definitely to find Neela if his eyes lingering on the girl is any indication. He takes a step in her direction then catches sight of Morimoto and stops. Turning, he sits at one of the few tables that wasn't full yet.

A giggle from Takana catches both Morimoto and Neela's attention. There's no question, just a prod from Morimoto.

"_The American is intimidated by you,_" Takana tells Morimoto, a smile on her face.

"_Good._"

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Shopping in Tokyo was as one of the few things that was actually slow-paced. The shops were still bustling with people, sure, but no one was pushing you to go faster.

Neela and Takana find themselves in one of the smaller specialty stores of the mall they'd driven to in Neela's car. The general department stores didn't have the type of clothes that either of them, specifically Takana, was looking for.

"You and Morimoto looked close this morning," Neela comments as they browse through the racks.

"We, uh, had a moment."

Neela stops mid-browsing, hand on a miniskirt that had caught her attention. "What type of moment?"

"I stayed at his place last night, as you know, and I ended up crying."

Eyes widening, Neela moves closer. "Crying? What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything, NeeNee. It was me. I was emotional. I just had so many thoughts going through my head and- and-" Throat closing up, Takana stops talking and looks up at the ceiling, trying to get rid of her tears.

"Oh, NaNa." Neela hugs her. "This is about... you know, isn't it?"

"It is but it's so much more. I can't even express all the emotions it's making me feel."

Stepping back, Neela keeps ahold of Takana's upper arms then slides her hands down to hold Takana's. "You're still the same, though."

"Mori said the same thing."

"It's true."

"On the outside maybe."

"NaNa-"

"It's nothing. Okay? Let's just find some sexy outfits for tonight."

Neela sighs. "Alright. But you and I will talk about this."

"Sure, sure."


	3. 三

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

The drift races were an experience. Held in a parking garage, there were modified cars everywhere both parked and racing, with women in barely anything walking around and dancing to the blaring music. 

Takana stops in front of the gate and waves to Tosh, the guard, who smiles and lets her in. As she pulls into the garage, eyes are immediately on her black 2004 Mazda RX-8. While not the most ostentatious car in the garage, most knew who the car belonged to. Add to that the fact that she hadn’t been to the races in at least three weeks and it made for a lot of attention on her.

Pulling up into her designated space next to Morimoto’s Nissan 350z, she steps out, smirking when she sees Morimoto’s eyes on her emerging form. She didn’t have that much skin showing, even though she had on a miniskirt. Her lace stockings covered up to the middle of her thighs, leaving about an inch of her thigh uncovered. The pink crop top she paired it with exposed significantly more of her stomach, letting her show off the belly button piercing that she had gotten in the week she was gone.

That little charm, as well as her heart chain belt just below it, captures and holds Morimoto’s attention as she walks around the front of his car and comes to stand in front of him. When his eyes finally meet hers, they’re blown wide.

“ _ I should let you go shopping with Neela more often. _ ” He breathes, pulling her closer.

“ _ This is the second time in a week I’ve gone shopping with her. _ ”

“ _ Keep doing it, _ ” he insists before capturing her lips in a kiss. Takana giggles, deepening the kiss, letting him lead her back until her thighs are pressed a car. His hand slides down her body and grabs onto her ass, earning him another giggle.

Before their makeout session can go much further, there’s a throat cleared not too far from them. Breaking the kiss, Takana looks over Morimoto’s shoulder to see Takashi staring at them with a raised eyebrow. Glancing back, Morimoto releases her and lets her step away. They both walk over and Takana waves at Han who, like usual, is munching on some sort of snack. The models surrounding him scowl at her, but she pays no mind. Han doesn’t interest her. He’s just her brother’s business partner.

Eyeing the models surrounding her brother, it’s her turn to glare. 

“ _ It’s all part of the act, little sister, _ ” Takashi reminds her, not looking up from his phone.

“ _ An act that hurts Neela. _ ”

That he looks up at. “ _ I know, but she understands. _ ”

Takana scoffs. “ _ And that makes it okay? _ ”

“ _ Takana, _ ” his tone bears a warning. She may be his sister, but even she is not above reproach, especially openly criticizing his decisions in front of everyone like this.

“ _ Whatever. _ ” 

Walking away, she wanders around until she finds Neela pulling in near Earl and Reiko so they can, once again, check her car.

The squeal that left her car as she was pulling in was not a great sound, so she brings it up to the two when Earl pops her hood as Takana joins them. 

“Hear that?” Neela points to the engine. “It’s still not right for the way I drive.”

“ _ ‘Cause the way you drive is wrong, _ ” Reiko comments, holding up her computer. “ _ See? _ ”

“I don’t need a computer to tell me about my throttle response.”

“Then we’re done here,” Earl says, walking away.

“If the tests on the computer are showing that everything is fine, then we may need to retune it,” Takana muses. “Or Reiko could be right and you need to change something in the way you drive.”

“You wouldn’t have that problem with a V8.”

Takana rolls her eyes at the voice of the American. She was having a good night and he had to come along and ruin it.

“Not everything is about the biggest engine, American.”

Neela grins. “Didn’t you know that boys only care about who has the biggest engine?”

The American grins as he leans over the front of Neela’s car, resting a hand on the raised hood. “I’mma guy. It’s in my DNA.”

“ _ Is it in your DNA to be a dumbass? _ ” Takana snarks in Japanese, crossing her arms. 

Neela gives her look then nudges the American to the side so she can close her hood. While the two are talking about whatever, Takana looks around the garage. Sighting her brother walking towards where the three of them stood with Morimoto and Han not far behind, a smirk appears on her face. This would be fun.

One of the Army brats, Twinkle or something, runs up as Takashi gets close and says, “He was just leaving.”

Paying him no mind, Takashi wraps his arms around Neela and says, in Japanese because he knows the American won’t understand, “ _ What do you think you’re doing with my girl, American?* _ ”

“I’m sorry, I don’t speak Japanese.”

Takashi kisses Neela’s cheek then looks back to the American. “Understand that?  _ Gaijin _ ?”

Moving back to stand next to Morimoto, who throws an arm over her shoulders, Takana smirks when Neela tells the American, “This isn’t your scene.”

Morimoto adjusts the crescent wrench in his grip and Takana rolls her eyes, taking it from him as the American ignores Neela’s attempt to get him to leave and asks Takashi, “That word you called me,  _ gaijin  _ or something. What’s it mean?”

“It means turn around and keep walking.”

Twinkle, maybe it was Twinkie, intercepts, obviously trying to save his new friends life. “That’s exactly what we’re gonna do.” He pushes the American away and the two walk a bit away, the Army brat whispering things as a smirking Takashi watches on with Neela nuzzling at his neck.

The American is dumber than he looks because he comes back, saying, “Now, see, that’s funny, ‘cause I thought this was like a free country where a girl could talk to whoever she wants.”

Takashi, sick of the American, stands tall and steps up to him with Neela trying to keep him from getting too close or doing too much damage. 

“You know who I am, boy?” he asks.

“Yeah. You’re like the Justin Timberlake of Japan, right?”

Neela, sensing Takashi’s growing frustration, says, “ _ He’s not worth it _ .*” When he still doesn’t back down, she says, “ _ I’ll take care of it _ .*” Turning around and stepping in front of him, she states to the American, “Leave.”

The Army brat, definitely Twinkie, pushes the American back once more. “Damn, man. You know Yakuza. The Mafia?” Spinning around, he says, “Look, sorry DK-san. Monkey didn’t have his banana today.”

Han, who had been leaning on the hood of Neela’s car, stands and says, “Hey, D, let’s go. It’s time to race.”

Convinced that the situation had been successfully abated, the crowd begins to disperse, Takana following with a giggle as Morimoto aims a monkey sound at the American. Neela and Takashi were even following.

Until the American opened his mouth again.

“Hey, good luck Timberlake.”

Takana turns and watches as Takashi whirls around and gets in the American’s face, staring him down, saying. “You’re the one that’s lucky, ‘cause I’m about to race.”

The American, taking this as a challenge, responds, “Then let’s race.”

Takashi’s laugh is derisive. “With what? Your skateboard?”

Setting her chin on Neela’s shoulder, Takana internally groans when Han offers up his car, one he had built from the ground up, to the American.

“ _ You know he’s going to wreck that car, right? _ ” Takana comments.

“I wanna see what the kid’s got.” The answer is half to Takana’s question and half to Takashi’s glare as he strides by.

Takana and Neela walk together to the start line as Morimoto runs ahead to pull Takashi’s car into position for him. Moments after Takashi’s car is in place and ready, the American pulls into place in Han’s car.

Takashi and Neela have a moment when Takashi hands her his leather jacket to hold on to, and Takana smirks when she sees the American get annoyed by it.

Once the two are in their cars and ready, a guy in a loose casual suit comes up to stand in the middle of the two cars, putting out a cigarette as he does.

He points to one side of the starting line and the girl there says, “Ready.”

He points to the other side and the girl says, “Setto.”

Looking between the two cars, he points forward, yelling, “Go!”

The two cars are off with the American in the lead. Takana, not worried, walks in the opposite direction of the crowd, who had all gathered in the middle of the lane to watch the two cars. As she reaches the elevator to wait for Neela, she winces when she hears a smashing sound. There goes Han’s car.

As the race continues up the parking garage’s levels, Morimoto herds Neela and Takana into the elevator that would take them to the top so they could watch the conclusion of the race.

Once at the top, Takana, Neela and Morimoto all make their way to the middle, listening to the sounds of the two racers coming up. Takashi’s drifts are smooth sounding with tires sliding sleekly against the pavement while the American’s attempts at drifting results in a lot of crashing and smashing.

Soon enough, Takashi is drifting up around the final turn and into the clear area. As he steps out, Morimoto rushes to greet him with a large smile on his face, to which Takashi responds with an affectionate head shove then tosses his keys to him. Takana is the next to greet him with a happy, excited hug before moving to the side so Takashi can celebrate with Neela. And they definitely do celebrate with an intense kiss that is only broken by the sound of the American scraping up the ramp.

The crowd scrambles out of the way as Takana and Morimoto bust out laughing from their place beside Takashi’s car. The crowd joins in on the laughing as Twinkie walks by the wreck of a car, shaking his head.

“ _ I knew he was dumb, but I didn’t think he was idiotic enough to challenge my brother and think he could win, _ ” Takana says to Morimoto and one of the guys that he and Takashi knew.

“ _ Americans are pretty stupid. _ ”

“ _ I see that. _ ”

As the crowd moves around the wreckage Han’s once-great car, Takashi and Neela, cuddled up together, amble over to Takana and Morimoto. Neela and Takana immediately break off into their own conversation.

“Did you have to encourage the American?” Takana asks, frowning. 

“I was being nice.”

“He didn’t see it that way.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“No.” Takana sighs. “I just hope he doesn’t become a problem.”

Neela shakes her head. “He won’t. I’m loyal to Takashi.”

Scanning her face, Takana smiles. “I know you are. I would never accuse you of anything like that.”

“Shall we go?”

Nodding, Takana turns to Morimoto and leans up to kiss his cheek, “ _ We’re going to get our cars. See you at the party. _ ”

“ _ Be careful and stay together, _ ” Takashi states, glancing between the two of them. “ _ And stay away from the gaijin. _ ”

Both girls agree before making their way over to the elevator.


	4. 四

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

To be honest, Takana really didn’t enjoy the race after-party that took place in the loft next to Han’s garage. There were way too many people packed into too small of a room with too loud music blasting and it all mixed into a near paralyzing combo that overwhelmed her.

Tonight, though, she had an obligation to appear, to show the general populace that she was fine. That, for all intents and purposes, the princess still reigned. Which leaves her perching at a table in the middle of the chaos with Neela across from them, both of them drinking sodas as they were, unfortunately, underage and Han had a strict policy on underage drinking.

“You don’t have to stay long,” Neela reminds her, flicking a lock of hair out of her face. “Just for an hour or two.”

The pout on Takana’s face is evident in her voice as well. “But I don’t want to go home alone.”

“Ask Morimoto to go with you.”

“He’s going to want to stay. Especially with Takashi’s victory tonight.”

Neela frowns. “You don’t know that, NaNa. Just ask him.”

Shaking her head, Takana picks up her coke. “I’ll just stay until he’s ready to go.”

“But that could be hours from now.”

Swallowing the mouthful of soda, Takana replies, “That’s fine.”

“NaNa.”

“I said it’s fine.” Takana didn’t intend for her statement to come out so sharp, but she was bone tired and the arguing just hurt her head. “NeeNee, I’ll be fine. I can handle a party.”

“Alright,” Neela mumbles. “I’m gonna go get another drink.”

Takana watches with a frown on her face as Neela walks away from their table and over to the bar. She hadn’t meant to hurt the girl. 

“ _ Are you okay? _ ”

If one more person asked her that she might actually go insane. Turning her head to look at Morimoto, she forces a smile. “ _ I’m alright. Just a bit tired. _ ”

“ _ Do you want to go home? _ ”

“ _ No. I’m fine here. _ ”

Morimoto narrows his eyes, seeing straight through her strong front. “ _ If you’re tired, you should go home. _ ”

“ _ Mori, I’m okay. I swear. _ ”

He shakes his head. “ _ We’re heading home so you can sleep. _ ” He pulls her to her feet and attempts to drag her towards the exit.

Digging her feet in, Takana pulls them to a stop. “ _ I’m not going to make you leave, Mori. _ ”

“ _ You’re not making me do anything, _ ” he insists, frowning. “ _ I’m taking care of you. _ ”

“ _ I don’t need to be taken care of, though. I’m fine. _ ”

Morimoto closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening them, he looks at Takana. “ _ I’m not going to argue with you. We are going home. _ ”

Yanking her wrist out of his grip, she grits her teeth. “ _ I told you that I’m fine. _ ”

Fist clenching and eyes flashing, Morimoto opens his mouth to argue. Instead, Takashi comes up and steps between them.

“ _ I don’t know what’s going on here, but figure it out elsewhere. People are starting to stare. _ ”

Glancing at the crowd around them, Takana inwardly cringes when she notices all of the gazes settled on her and Morimoto.

“_Tell your sister that she needs to go home,_” Morimoto states, staring at Takana as he speaks to Takashi. “_She’s not feeling well and she refuses to leave._”

Takashi turns his attention to Takana. “ _ Takana. You don’t have to stay because we’re here. _ ”

“ _ I have to keep up appearances, _ ” she argues, looking down. “ _ I’ve been gone for three weeks so I need to make sure no one thinks anything is wrong. _ ”

Brows furrowing, Takashi says, “ _ You’ve been here for over an hour. That’s longer than you normally stay. It’s okay for you to go home _ .”

Looking between the two men, Takana frowns. It was really sweet that the two were worried about her, but she couldn’t help but feel terrible about lying to them about the real reason she didn’t want to leave.

“ _ Fine, but you’re coming with me, Mori. _ ”

Morimoto smiles. “ _ Okay. _ ”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

The weekend passes by quickly with Takana being watched closely, too closely, by Takashi, Morimoto, and Neela. Sometimes it was all three while they were hanging out, trying to be discreet about it, and other times it was individually questioning her about how she was feeling.

By the time Monday arrives, she’s happy to go to school. She needed a reprieve from the constant observation. 

“You’re Takana, right?”

Well, she was happy.

Turning to the American, she flashes a fake smile. “Who wants to know?”

“I’m Sean.” He holds out his hand which Takana just stares at until he retracts it. “Uh, I think we started off on the wrong foot.” When she doesn’t respond, he starts to ramble on. “You know, I think we’re the same. Like we could be friends.”

Takana tilts her head. “Us? The same?” She scoffs. “You’re delusional, American.”

She tries to walk away only for him to grab her arm.

“Wait! Can you just-”

“Hey!  _ Gaijin _ !” Morimoto is suddenly next to them and removing Sean’s hand from Takana’s arm. “Hands off my girl, cowboy.”

“We was just talkin’”

Takana backs up a step as Morimoto steps in front of her and gets in the American’s face.

“You put your hands on her. That is not talking.”

“She’s probably used to it being with you.”

Time seems to freeze as the comment registers in both Morimoto and Takana’s minds. Then all at once, everything happens. Morimoto drives his fist into the American’s face, knocking him to the ground, then follows and rains punches on the American who tries and fails to block the punches.

Takana, though shocked at how sudden it all happened, does nothing to stop the assault. The American deserved it.

The fight is broken up a moment later by Twinkie and a few of the other students with Morimoto’s friends holding him back from attacking again.

Realizing that Morimoto wasn’t going to calm down, Takana dashes over to him and blocks his view of the American. Cupping his face, she holds his head still to make sure his eyes are on her. 

“ _ I’m alright, _ ” she murmurs. “ _ Let’s get out of here, okay? _ ”

Morimoto finally stops struggling against his friends and nods. The guys release him as does Takana, though she does take his hand to lead him out of the school yard. They would miss a day of school, but it didn’t matter much. Morimoto not killing the American mattered much more.

The two of them walk down the road to a cafe that they regularly went to after school. Morimoto sits at a table while Takana goes up to the counter to order them both tea, green tea for Morimoto and white tea for herself.

Settling across from Morimoto, Takana leans forward, setting her elbows on the table and leaning on them.

“ _ Thank you for defending me _ .”

Morimoto frowns. “ _ That gaijin needs to learn his place and do it quickly. _ ”

“ _ I’m sure with your little lesson, he’ll learn it soon enough. _ ”

“ _ With how he challenged Takashi, I don’t think he will. _ ”

Takana’s eyes narrow and her brows furrow. “ _ You think he’s going to become a problem. _ ”

“ _ I don’t think. I know. He’s only been in Tokyo for a few days and he’s trying to move in on Takashi’s spot and his girl. _ ”

“ _ He’s very stupid if he thinks either of those things are going to work out in his favor. _ ”

“ _ Doesn’t stop him from trying. _ ”

“ _ Clearly. _ ”

Their tea is delivered at that moment, stalling the conversation. Even after the waitress leaves, the conversation stays dead, instead choosing to sip quietly on their tea and relax, listening to the lulling bustle of the cafe.

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

A night spent in the storeroom that Takashi uses as his office is one of Takana’s ideal ways to spend a night. It was busy and a bit loud, but only people Takashi allowed would be in there. While Takashi and Morimoto play mahjong at the table with two of the other guys, Takana relaxes on the couch with a sketch pad.

The relaxed air of the room tenses up drastically when Han walks in with the American following behind him. Takashi had been informed of the comment the American had made earlier that day as well the subsequent fight that had occurred. As such, both of them weren’t happy with seeing the American in front of them.

Takashi murmurs something to Morimoto before motioning for everyone, excluding Morimoto and Takana, to leave. 

“What’s he doing here?” Takashi questions Han.

“He’s paying me back for that crumpled beer can that sitting in my garage.” Han tosses a package onto the table as he speaks, glancing back at the American.

“Hope he’s not driving,” Morimoto snarks before taking a sip of his green tea. 

Smirking at Morimoto’s barely contained aggression played off as playfulness, Takashi grabs the package and stands up walking over to his desk. Takana watches as he counts the money before setting it aside.

“ _ Gaijin, _ ” Morimoto grins before it drops back to impassive, “when is your next race? I’d really like to be there.”

“ _ It would make my day to see him lose badly again, _ ” Takana comments with a grin.

“I don’t know what she said,” the American states, “but why not be in my next race?”

“ _ You really a badass, cowboy, or you just talk like one? _ ” Morimoto’s impassive expression is replaced by narrowed eyes. 

“You heard me.”

Takashi retakes his seat, saying, “Ready to lose another car, Han?”

“Ready to take that 86 Corolla off your hands,” Han counters.

Chuckling, Takashi agrees. “Alright. Put up the 72 Skyline.”

“Done.”

Takana stands up, interjecting herself into the conversation. “When Morimoto wins, I want an apology.”

The American hangs his head. “I didn’t mean–”

“Ah.” Takana plasters herself against Morimoto’s back. “I said after.”

Staring down at the table, Takashi states, “Get him out of here. We have business to discuss.”

Kissing Morimoto’s cheek, Takana moves away. “ _ I’m going out to meet Neela. She’ll be here soon. _ ”

He and Takashi nod as Han sits down at the table with them.

Takana makes her way out of the room, slipping her phone out of her pocket. The American is a bit further ahead of her and she frowns as she watches him walk away. 

Outside, she waits in front of the store for Neela, checking her phone every so often for texts from either Neela or her friends. Looking up a minute later, she frowns when she sees Neela and the American talking across the street. 

The two seem to be having a decent conversation as Takana is joined by Han.

“ _ That kid is so stupid. _ ”

Takana doesn’t bother to respond as Neela’s smile gradually turns to a frown. She says something to the American, clearly upset, then stalks over to where Takana and Han are standing. 

All she says is, “Inside, please.”

Nodding, Takana links arms with her and the two of them head back into the store and to the storeroom.

The American was really pushing his luck.


	5. 五

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

When Takana wakes up to bright sunshine in her eyes, she immediately pulls the blanket up to cover her face and attempts to fall back asleep. 

A chuckle sounds off to her right before she’s pulled up against a chest. Nuzzling her face into the chest, Takana lets out a sound of contentment and begins dozing once again. A kiss to the top of her head and the soft whisper of fingertips against her bare back has her almost purring.

“_ As much as I would love to stay in bed with you all day, we have school. _”

Takana’s relaxed state is instantly gone and she looks up at Morimoto with a pout. “_ Do we really have to go? _”

“_ We missed class yesterday. We shouldn’t miss again today. _”

Huffing, Takana sits up. “_ Stupid school. _”

“_ I agree, but you know your uncle would be upset if you stopped going again. It took a lot for the school not to kick you out for missing three weeks. _”

“_ I know. _ ” Stretching, she lets out a groan as her bones pop. “ _ Are there any plans for after school? _”

Morimoto shakes his head. “_ None that I know of. _”

“_ Good. We should go out and do something. _”

The grin on Morimoto’s face is playful. “_ Are you asking me on a date? _”

Straddling him, Takana places her hands on his cheeks. “_ I might be. _”

Cupping the back of her head, Morimoto pulls Takana down so their lips can meet. The kiss starts off soft and teasing but gradually grows stronger. Sliding her hands down from his cheeks, Takana rests one hand on his back and one on his chest, pulling him closer, an action mirrored Morimoto as he slides his hands down to clutch at her waist.

The moment is interrupted by the dinging of one of their phones, prompting Takana to sigh once their lips part.

“_ Who’s phone was that _?”

Blinking languidly, Morimoto turns his head to look at the two phones on the nightstand. “_ Yours. _”

Dropping her head to his shoulder, Takana comments, “_ If ignore it, do you think it’ll stop? _”

The buzzing of an incoming call answers the question and Takana groans, clambering carefully off of Morimoto’s lap to grab the blasted device. 

Seeing Neela’s name flashing on the screen, she scoops up the phone and clicks answer.

“What’s up, NeeNee?”

“Just wondering if you were coming to school today. You missed the train.”

Pulling her phone back to look at the time, Takana’s eyes widen and she curses. “I didn’t realize it was that late.”

“So you’re not coming?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Thank God. I’m going to need your help dealing with Sean.”

“Don’t like him as much as you thought?”

“No. All that stuff he said last night upset me.”

“I would be upset too.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I’ll let you get ready. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Hanging up, Takana scrambles out of the bed and rushes to put her uniform on and fix her hair. Morimoto is ready around the same time she is and has his keys in his hand.

“_ I blame you for this. _”

Morimoto chuckles. “_ Whatever you say. _”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

The school day was boring and annoying all at the same time. The American couldn’t seem to take the hint that Neela wanted nothing to do with after his comments the previous night. The comments were relatively harmless, just assuming what Neela’s past and current situation was, but on top of the comment he had made about Morimoto and Takana’s relationship, it was a deal-breaker. So most of Takana’s day was spent stonewalling the American and keeping Neela distracted so she didn’t notice him practically harassing the two of them.

After school, Takana goes with Neela to Neela’s apartment, which was in the same building as Takana and Takashi’s, so that she can get ready for her date with Morimoto. More than likely, it would be nothing more than a cafe date, but she still wanted to look nice.

Soon enough, she’s dressed in a cute dress and heeled booties that would fit in almost any place Morimoto decided to take her. Just as Neela is finished helping Takana with her hair, Morimoto messages that he’s in front of the building. Takana hugs Neela and rushes downstairs, careful not to trip in her heels.

“_ Hi, _ ” Morimoto greets with a grin when she steps outside, opening the passenger door for her. “ _ You look beautiful. _”

Kissing his cheek, Takana smiles. “_ Hello. _” She then slides into the passenger seat and watches as he closes the door then walks around the front of the car with a smile. 

“_ I thought that we could grab some food then head up to the mountain. _”

Takana grins. “_ Sounds like a great idea. _”

Pulling away from the curb, Morimoto drives them across the city. Most of the time on the highway is spent speeding and it gives Takana such a rush. They fly past two different police cars that do nothing after clocking their speed. They were lucky that the highway patrol was nowhere to be found because neither of them needed a fine even if the two of them could easily pay it.

Morimoto parks in an open space on the road and pays the meter while Takana looks around. The area didn’t give her a clue as to where he had picked for them to go/

“_ Ready? _”

Takana nods and holds onto his arm as he leads them down the sidewalk to their destination. When they reach the said destination, Takana eyes widen and she beams at Morimoto. The cafe, which was actually a _kissaten,_ in front of them was an older place, having been open for over 20 years and, while expensive, it was one of the best places to get amazing tea. Takana had been talking about going with Neela for the past few months and it appeared that Morimoto had overheard them talking about it.

“_ You remembered! _”

“_ I did. _” Morimoto nods with a toothy smile.

Walking into the _kissaten_, the aroma of brewing tea and the dash of sweetness from little cakes that were offered had Takana relaxing. It was a world away from the bustling city that they had just stepped out of. Instead of bustling and unbearably loud, the _kissaten_ was quiet, the clinking of cups setting down on saucers being the loudest noise.

“_ This is amazing already,” _she murmurs, excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Morimoto chuckles. “_ Let’s at least try something. _”

“_ Obviously. _”

The two are seated moments later with their orders placed. It took a while, almost twenty minutes, but eventually their tea is sat in front of them as well as the cake that they ordered. The two talk about nothing while sipping on tea and munching on cake. There was no hurry to leave, no rush to rejoin the clamoring world outside the door.

They ended up remaining at the _kissaten_ for two hours before setting out to their final destination. 

Silence reigns in the car on the way up to the mountain, Takana content to watch the passing scenery as it changes from the quickly moving city to the peaceful forest. When they reach the top of the mountain, they both get out and sit on the hood of the car, Takana in between Morimoto’s legs with her back resting against his chest.

“_ The stars look pretty tonight, _” Takana says.

“_ They are, _ ” Morimoto agrees. “ _ They’re nothing compared to you though. _”

Takana giggles. “_ You’re so cheesy. _”

“_ Only for you. _”

A car pulling up beside theirs pulls Takana’s attention away from the sky. The sight of her brother’s 350z confuses her, but she smiles at both him and Neela nonetheless. There are no actual words exchanged, but that suits them just fine. They’re all content to just watch the stars. 

Once they have their fill, the two couples get back in their cars. Takana smiles when Morimoto and Takashi begin drifting down the mountain in tandem. The drifting is smooth enough that Takana is able to text Neela while it’s happening, though both of them stop when they get too caught up in the adrenaline rush that comes with drifting, even if you’re only the passenger.

Too soon for Takana’s liking, they reach the bottom of the mountain and the drifting comes to an end. From this point on, it’s normal driving with Takashi and Morimoto even doing a relatively normal speed limit.

“_ How does a movie night sound? _” Morimoto asks suddenly.

“_ Sounds like fun. Why? _”

“_ Takashi and I were discussing possibly having one the other day. Tonight seems like a nice night to do one. _”

Takana nods. “_ I’ll text Neela. _”

The two cars pull up at a smaller department store and both Neela and Takana get out to grab snacks for the movie night.

As they stand in the snack aisle, debating which snacks to get, Takana is bumped into, though soft enough that she doesn’t really budge.

“_ I’m so sorry. _”

Looking up at the owner of the voice, Takana is slightly shocked to see a Hispanic boy, maybe even man, that was slightly taller than her. He looked out of place in the Japanese department store, though he seemed to speak fluent Japanese.

“_ I was looking at my phone, trying to figure out what my friend wants me to get. _”

Takana nods. “_ It’s alright. Do you need any help? _”

“_ Not that I know of, but thank you. _”

Takana goes back to perusing snacks, with Neela staring at her, questions in her eyes. 

“_Actually, I think you might be able to help me._” The Hispanic man’s words catch Takana’s attention. “_I’m looking for my half-sister. Her name is Takana. Do you know her?_”


	6. 六

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

Eyes widening, Takana drops the basket of items in her hand. This couldn’t be real. No. It was still all a lie, right? Her dad was her dad. Her mom hadn’t cheated. She didn’t have an American father. No. She refused to believe any of it. 

The three weeks that she had used to recenter herself were blown to smithereens as the Hispanic man stands in front of her.

“ _ I don’t- _ ” Takana shakes her head, taking a step back. 

“ _ Takana, please. I’m not here to cause any issues. My dad, your real father, just heard about your mother dying. He wanted me to come check on you. _ ”

Seeing Takana’s shaken state, Neela steps in front of her. “ _ This isn’t the place to do this. How about you give me your number and she’ll call you when she’s ready. Alright? _ ”

He nods. “ _ I can do that. My name is Diego, by the way. _ ”

Neela nods as she hands him her phone and he types in his number. A moment after Diego hands the phone back, Takashi comes into the store, most likely to investigate what was taking the girls so long. At the sight of Takana clearly looking upset, he rushes over.

“ _ What happened? _ ” His eyes immediately find Diego and narrow. “What did you do?”

Diego backs away, hands held up. “I didn’t do anything. We just bumped into each other. I swear.”

Takana, looking up to find a tensed Takashi in front of her, snaps out of her inner battle with her thoughts. “ _ Takashi. Brother. I’m okay. He didn’t do anything. _ ”

Turning around to face her, Takashi examines her from head to toe. Whatever he sees leads him to not believe her. “ _ He did something for you to look that upset. _ ”

“ _ I promise that I’m okay. _ ”

Neela, who had been picking up the basket that had slipped from Takana’s grip, stops next to Takashi. “ _ We have everything we need. Let’s get checked out and head home. _ ”

Takana nods and, with another moment of hesitation, so does Takashi. He gives Diego another glare then wraps an arm around Takana and leads her to the front.

Neela waves for them to go ahead of her while she pays. Takana protests, wanting a moment to regain control of herself before letting Morimoto see her. 

“ _ You look like you’re about to collapse, _ ” Takashi says. “ _ Let’s get you out to the car. _ ”

Takana sighs but doesn’t argue, allowing him to lead her out the Morimoto’s car. He opens the door for her and she slides in, avoiding Morimoto’s questioning eyes. Closing the door, Takashi walks around the front of the car, leaning on the driver’s side door as Morimoto rolls his window down.

“ _ Something happened in the store that upset Takana, _ ” Takashi tells Morimoto. “ _ I’m sure she’ll be fine soon, but keep an eye on her. _ ”

“ _ I’m right here. _ ” Takana huffs. “ _ And I told you that I’m fine. _ ”

“_And I don’t doubt that, little sister,_ _but you seemed shaken up so I’m worried. Let me be a big brother, okay?_”

“ _ Fine. _ ”

Takashi smiles and taps the car door before stepping away as Neela comes out of the store with the purchases.

Morimoto looks over at Takana. “ _ What happened that had you so shaken up? _ ”

“ _ Just thinking too much. _ ”

Morimoto hums as he starts the car, pulling out right behind Takashi. It was obvious that he didn’t believe her, but she really couldn’t tell him that she just met her half-brother. Well, she could but that would be accepting that everything was real and she wasn’t ready to accept that.

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Walking into the school the next morning, Takana sticks quietly to Neela’s side. The whole encounter last night was still on her mind, even if the movie night following it had cheered her up considerably. The funny part of the night had been when Morimoto had broken his iPod Touch by accidentally dropping in his bowl of ramen.

The morning had been nice as well. All of them had stayed at Takashi and Takana’s apartment for the night and Neela, Takana, and Morimoto had all walked to the train station together, which felt nice.

The first half of the day passes by in a blur of note-taking and listening and occasionally dozing off. The bell soon rings for lunch and Neela and Takana stand up and walk out of the classroom to head to the cafeteria. 

As soon as they’re out of the classroom, though, they’re dragged to the stairwell that leads to the roof.

“ _ Neela! Takana! Come quickly! It’s Morimoto! _ ”

Rushing up the stairs with Neela, Takana gasps when she sees Morimoto not only shove the American, not that she cared about him, but also nearly attack Twinkie as well when he yells, “I don’t do refunds!”

“ _ What is this about? _ ” Takana asks the girls surrounding them.

“ _ Morimoto says that Twinkie sold him a broken iPod. _ ” 

Neela and Takana share a look. They had both been witness to Morimoto breaking the iPod last night, so what was the real reason behind this?

Turning their attention back to the fight at hand, they watch as the American gets in Morimoto’s face before yanking his own iPod out of his pocket and handing it to him. Morimoto takes the device then spits in his fist at the American. He then turns around and motions for his crew to leave, leading them to the staircase.

Takana stops him, arms crossed and a glare on her face. “ _ What the hell was that? _ ”

He shrugs. “ _ I don’t know what you’re talking about. _ ”

“ _ You know damn well what I’m talking about, Morimoto. You broke the iPod and you have the nerve to go after Twinkie? Really? _ ”

Morimoto frowns. “ _ He’s friends with the American. Why shouldn’t I go after him? _ ”

Takana gapes at him. That was his logic? Really? “ _ He’s innocent! That’s why! _ ”

“ _ This is just one of those things you don’t understand, okay? _ ” Morimoto flashes a charming smile. “ _ Let’s go get lunch. _ ”

“ _ No! Go get lunch yourself! _ ”

Pissed off, Takana stomps over to where Morimoto’s uniform shirt and jacket lay, having been taken off by him at some point during the altercation, and picks them up. Balling them up, she stomps over to the side of the roof and chucks them off.

The entire crowd of students still on the roof, including Neela and the American as well as Reiko and Earl, hold their breath as Takana turns and stares down Morimoto. Jaw clenching, he takes a step towards her. His crew shoves him back, not wanting him to do anything stupid. They continue shoving until he’s out of sight in the stairwell and presumably until he’s back in the school.

Finally, the crowd begins to clear out with all of the drama over. There’s mutterings amongst them and glances at Takana who had since turned back around. Neela breaks away from the crowd and goes over to Takana, resting a hand on her arm.

“ _ NaNa. _ ”

There are tears in Takana’s eyes as she speaks. “ _ How could he do something like that?” _

_ “I don’t know. You know how boys can be sometimes. _ ”

“ _ He’s never done anything like that though. I know he can be a dick sometimes, but he’s never beaten up someone just because. _ ”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the American says from behind them, “but I just wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, you seemed kinda upset.”

Takana refuses to respond, refuses to reveal any weaknesses to this American boy.

Neela answers for her. “She’s okay.”

“Alright.” The American shuffles a bit. “I wanted to apologize for the things I said the other night. Your life isn’t any of my business.”

Takana glances to the side to see Neela with a small smile on her face.

“It’s okay,” she replies. “If you’ll excuse us.”

“Right. Yeah. Of course.”

Footsteps fade away from their place and the two girls can hear the American stomping down the steps. 

Once he’s clearly gone, Takana crumples to the ground, sobbing.

“ _ NaNa, _ ” Neela coos as she kneels besides Takana. “ _ Everything will be okay. Morimoto is an asshole for doing something like this, but he does love you. And I know you love him. _ ” She envelops Takana in a hug, pressing Takana’s head up against her chest and resting her chin on top of it as she pets Takana’s hair. 

Takana’s sobs eventually fade to sniffles and then to silence. The two girls sit and listen to the city below as Takana regains control of her emotions.

Pulling away from Neela, Takana wipes her face with her hands. “ _ I’m okay. We can go back to class. _ ”

“ _ Are you sure that’s a good idea? Maybe you should go home. _ ”

Shaking her head, Takana stands up. “ _ I don’t want Takashi knowing anything is wrong. He’s already worried after last night. Telling him about this would just make it worse. _ ”

“_Do you think it’s a good idea, though?_” Neela asks standing up as well. “_You’re already keeping the fact that you met your half-brother from him. Do you really want to keep the fact that you and Morimoto are having issues from him too?_”

“ _ Yes. I don’t need those two fighting on top of everything else. _ ”

Neela nods. “ _ Alright. _ ”

“ _ Let’s get back to class. _ ”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

That night, instead of hanging out with Takashi, Morimoto, or even Neela, she texts Reiko to see where she is. She wasn’t close to the girl, but they had talked in depth about how cars run before and had a bond, even if it was a faint one.

Takana makes her way out to her car as she waits for the girl to respond so when she does respond and mentions that they were at the soccer field, Takana is pulling out immediately and heading that way. 

Parking in the parking lot near the soccer field, she looks up at the building that the field is on top of and sighs at how far up she has to go. Making the trek up, Takana is glad that she exercises on a regular basis or else her lungs would be done-for by the time she got to the top.

Opening the door she smiles when she sees the game in progress, going over to join Reiko behind the net. 

“ _ Hello. _ ”

Reiko turns to her with a smile. “ _ Hi. _ ”

As the boys, aka Twinkie and Earl, push and shove each other on the field, Takana giggles. “ _ Are they always like this? _ ”

Nodding with a laugh, Reiko responds, “ _ Always. Though I blame it mostly on Earl. I blame everything on him. _ ”

Takana looks at her. “ _ Any particular reason why? _ ”

A blush spreads across the other girls face. “ _ No. _ ”

Leaving it alone, Takana grins as she watches the game, laughing whenever Twinkie and Earl get into arguments. Looking around the field, and up at the observation decks, Takana finally spots Han as Earl shouts, “Hey, Han! Sort this wanker out!”

Takana outright laughs when Han yells back, “What do I look like? A zebra?”

As the game continues, someone bringing out a whistle, Reiko turns to her once again. “ _ So does this mean you’ll be hanging out with us more? _ ”

Sighing, Takana kicks at the turf. “ _ I don’t know. Morimoto pissed me off this afternoon with what he did to Twinkie. I know for a fact that he broke that damn iPod himself so I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish there. _ ”

Reiko nods. “ _ That’s understandable. Even if you don’t continue to hang out with us, just remember that I’m here for you. Us car girls gotta stick together. _ ”

Chuckling, Takana nods. “ _ Always. _ ”


	7. 七

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

Takana did end up hanging out with Han and his crew for the next week or so. Most of the time with them was spent judging Sean’s drifting, which was getting better. Takana had to admit that the American was willing to put in the work to become better. She still didn’t like the fact that he was trying to make a move on Neela, but she could admire his work ethic at least.

Most of the training, led by Han, happened on a mountain road. It wasn’t DK’s mountain, aka the mountain her brother and Morimoto frequented, so there wasn’t a chance of running into them. 

Which brings up another thing. Takana had been avoiding Morimoto for almost a week now. He had been texting her constantly, even calling, but she wasn’t ready to talk to him. It probably wasn’t the best way to deal with the problem, but Takana just wasn’t in the mood to try to explain to him why what he did was wrong.

“Yo, Takana!”

Twinkie’s shout breaks her out of her thoughts.

“Your phone’s been goin’ off for a few minutes.”

Looking down at the device, she curses when she sees Takashi’s name and hurries to pick it up. “ _ Hi, big brother. _ ”

“ _ Where are you? _ ”

“ _ Um. _ ”

“ _ Don’t lie. _ ”

Takana sighs. “ _ Hanging out with Han and his crew. _ ”

“ _ I’m coming to get you. _ ”

Takashi hangs up before Takana can protest.

“ _ Shit. _ ” Takana stands up, slipping her phone into her pocket and shrugs on her jacket.

Han looks at her. “What’s up, princess?”

“My brother is coming to get me.”

The whole crew looks over, the mood deflating. 

“How did he know you were here?” Earl questions.

Takana shrugs. “I have no clue. Someone had to have told him. Just like they had to have told him where we are.”

Sean pulls to a stop next to them as the sound of cars coming their way reaches Takana’s ears. 

“Whatever you guys do, don’t start anything okay?” Takana pleads.

Moments later, Takashi and Morimoto’s 350zs screech to a halt a few feet from them. Both of them step out of their cars and approach the group. Takashi grabs Takana’s upper arm and pulls her away from the group.

“ _ I told you to stay away from the gaijin. _ ”

“ _ I’m not here for him! I’m here to hang out with Reiko! _ ”

“ _ The gaijin is here so you shouldn’t be. _ ”

“ _ How the hell did you even know where I was? _ ”

Takashi motions to Morimoto. “ _ He saw you as he was driving by. _ ”

Eyes narrowing and jaw clenching, Takana turns on Morimoto. “ _ Driving by, my ass. Why were you watching me? _ ”

“ _ I think I have a right to know where my girlfriend is _ .”

“ _ I’m ignoring you for a reason _ !”

“ _ I didn’t do anything wrong _ !”

Takana groans. “ _ The fact that you still believe you did nothing wrong is why I’ve been ignoring you. _ ” Turning to her brother, she says, “ _ If you’re going to drag me away, can you do it already? _ ”

Takashi glances between her and Morimoto but opens the passenger door for her to climb in and shuts it behind her. Before climbing back into the car, he walks up to Han and says something to him. Han has no outward reaction to whatever he says and Takashi must be fine with this because he turns around and walks back to the car and climbs into the driver’s seat.

“ _ Morimoto- _ ”

“_No._” Takana cuts him off. “_I don’t want to talk about him._” 

Takashi sighs. “ _ You need to talk to him about this, Takana. _ ”

“ _ And I will. Just not now. _ ”

“ _ Do it before the race, please. _ ”

“ _ Maybe. _ ”

“ _ Takana. _ ”

“ _ Just take me home please. _ ”

A groan sounds from Takashi but he starts the car and backs out before speeding down the road and to their home.

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

It turns out that the current tiff going on with Takana had affected Morimoto to the point that, even with his erratic and grinding drifts, Sean was able to beat Morimoto in the race. 

Takana frowns as Takashi wordlessly hands Han the keys to the 86 Corolla that he had bet and walks away, not even bothering to speak to Morimoto, who was smacking his wheel and yelling in anger. Walking over to his car, Takana stands by the passenger door, hesitating before climbing in. 

Morimoto looks over at her, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “ _ Gonna yell at me some more? _ ”

Shaking her head, Takana reaches over and wipes away the lone tear that drips down his face. “ _ I figured that we needed to talk. _ ”

“ _ Look, I’m sorry about what I did to Twinkie. _ ”

“ _ Why did you do it? _ ”

“ _ He’s best friends with the cowboy. I thought that if I did something to him then the cowboy would back off, maybe even back out of the race. _ ”

Takana nods. “ _ You realize now that it was an asshole move, right? Twinkie is innocent and putting him in the middle of all of this between you and the American is just cruel. _ ”

“ _ I realize that now. _ ”

“ _ I’m sorry you lost. _ ”

He shakes his head. “ _ I deserved to lose. I’ve been an asshole recently. _ ”

“ _ You have, but that doesn’t mean that your position should be challenged by an outsider. _ ”

Morimoto shrugs. “ _ Just means that I have to be better. We have been kind of complacent with our place at the top. _ ”

“ _ I agree. I think this American coming in was a good thing. It shakes us up, forces us to stay on top of our game. _ ”

There are a few moments of silence in the car as a party rages on outside, cheering on Sean’s win. Sean himself breaks away from the crowd and jogs over to Morimoto’s car, leaning down beside the passenger side.

Takana rolls down the window and stares at him.

“I know he lost but I still want to apologize for my comments. They were rude and uncalled for.” Sean looks over towards the crowd then back at Takana. “I hope you can accept my apology.”

Nodding, Takana replies, “I forgive you. Just don’t be an asshole again, okay?”

He nods quickly. “Yeah. Of course.”

Morimoto starts the car, prompting Sean to pull away. Takana waves as she rolls the window up, watching as Sean waves back before heading back over to the crowd that is happy to accept him back. Morimoto carefully pulls around and makes his way out of the parking garage, heading in some direction. 

They drive around for a while, content to just be in each other’s presence after almost two weeks of not talking to one another. 

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Every so often a group of the drifters, usually those in Takana, Neela, and Morimoto’s circle, would get together and head up to the mountain and then just tandem drift down. It was a relaxing activity, even if Takana was the one leading it. 

When Neela shows up with Sean in tow, Takana knows that there’s going to be trouble. Maybe not that night, but definitely in the future for Sean. Maybe she could assist him in avoiding it, but getting close to Neela, especially with Takashi telling both Neela and Takana to stay away from Sean, was a recipe for disaster with the American right in the middle of the shitstorm.

Pulling Neela aside, Takana addresses the situation. “ _ What are you doing, NeeNee? _ ”

Neela sighs. “ _ Have you ever felt like you’ve been with someone for so long that you don’t really know anything outside of them? _ ”

Takana nods. “ _ Me and Morimoto have been together since we knew what love was. _ ”

“ _ Do you ever just want someone to challenge him? To make him care? _ ”

A sudden realization hits Takana. Neela felt like Takashi didn’t care about her. That’s why she was turning to Sean. 

“ _ I can’t say that I have. _ ” Takana wraps Neela in a hug. “ _ Talk to him, NeeNee. That would definitely work better than making it seem like you’re interested in someone else. You know how possessive my brother can get. _ ”

Neela nods. “ _ I won’t go after Sean anymore tonight. He’s just a friend anyway. _ ”

“ _ Good. _ ”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 東京 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

The trouble that Takana was expecting happened the next day. Someone had seen Neela out with Sean and had reported it back to Takashi.

“ _ That’s it, _ ” Takashi growls, jumping up and snatching his keys off his desk.

“ _ Stop. _ ”

Takashi turns to look at Neela, who stood beside Takana. 

“ _ Sean did nothing wrong except be a friend. _ ”

Takashi throws his keys down and stalks over to Neela. “ _ I told both of you to stay away from the gaijin. _ ”

“ _ Did you know that I hate that word? _ ” Neela says, crossing her arms. “ _ I’ve hated it since I was teased with it as a child. _ ”

The anger bleeds from Takashi’s face, replaced by a frown. “ _ I didn’t realize. _ ”

“ _ You didn’t, _ ” Neela agrees. “ _ Things like that are why Sean is my friend. Because he understands the feeling and the pain of being told you aren’t good enough to be on the inside. _ ”

“ _ Neela, _ ” Takashi looks heartbroken. 

Takana feels a hand on her back as Neela steps closer to Takashi. Turning her head, Takana smiles when she sees Morimoto. As he holds her waist, he motions with his head for them to step out to give the couple a moment.

Following him out, Takana giggles when he immediately sweeps her up into a kiss. It’s a playful and innocent kiss, and it’s the first they’ve shared since they made up a few days ago. The two of them exchange pecks as they wait in the hallway to be let back in.

After a time, around twenty or so minutes, Neela opens the door with a smile and beckons them back into the room. 

Walking in, Takana smiles at her brother who has a genuine smile on his face for the first time in a while. She and Morimoto make themselves comfortable on the couch with Takan sitting sideways on Morimoto’s lap.

Takashi and Neela join them moments later, mirroring their position.

“ _ It’s nice to see you smile again, big brother, _ ” Takana says, grinning. 

“ _ It’s nice to smile again. _ ”

Neela grins. “ _ It really is. I’ve been worried about you. _ ”

“ _ We’ve all been under pressure lately, _ ” Morimoto says. “ _ With keeping Han under the radar as well as dealing with the information that we’ve been receiving. _ ”

“ _ But we’re okay, _ ” Takana assures. “ _ Pressure is nothing for us. _ ”

There are sounds of agreement from everyone before it fades to silence. The two couples relax for a while, taking a moment to assure themselves that everything was still okay.


	8. 八

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

The next day, Takana goes to school in the morning, not telling anyone of her plans for later in the day to sneak out and go to Han’s garage. 

When lunch arrives, she does as she planned, sneaking out and quickly making her way to the nearest building with a bathroom to change out of her school uniform. Once that’s done, she rushes down the street to the train, waiting for the one that will take her the closest to Han’s garage.

Finally reaching the garage a good two and a half hours later, Takana strides in, locating Han immediately. She walks over to where he’s working on a car and murmurs, “We need to talk.”

Han looks at her before wiping his hands and leading her to his office. Leaning against the desk, he watches as she shuts the door. “You aren’t coming onto me, are you, princess?”

Takana shakes her head. “You need to stop with your side deals.”

Frame going rigid, Han’s gaze turns icy. “How do you know about them?”

“Oh, please. I’ve been around my brother and Morimoto enough to know the signs.”

“And what are you going to do if I don’t stop?”

“Something that none of us would benefit from: telling my uncle. You know how he is. You’ll be kicked out of Tokyo, at the very least.”

Han glares. “Are you threatening me?”

Takana shakes her head. “No. Just giving you, what’s it called, a cease-and-desist?”

“Say I do stop. What about the money I’ve already made?”

“You would have to pay it back, of course.”

Han crosses his arms over his chest and looks down. He must be thinking about his options because a moment later, he says, “I’ll have the money by tonight. Tell your brother to meet me here at midnight.”

Nodding, Takana steps away, opening the door. “Oh, and Han. Try to control Sean, alright? His thing with Neela was frustrating at first, but it’s pissing my brother off.”

“I’m not the kid’s daddy.”

“But you are his mentor.”

With that, Takana slips out of the office and heads back the way she came. At the train station, she takes the one that will take her home instead of the one that will take her to school.

While she’s waiting for the train, she pulls out her phone and turns it back on, not surprised when she has dozens of messages and missed calls. Most of the earlier messages are from Neela and Morimoto, who had both likely noticed that she wasn’t at school anymore. The calls had started up not too long ago and had come from her brother as well as Neela and Morimoto.

Clicking on Neela’s contact, Takana presses her phone to her ear and listens to it ring.

“Takana! Where the hell are you?”

Takana smiles at the girls worry. “I had something to take care of. I’m waiting for the train home now.”

“Which station are you at?”

Takana names off the station. “I promise that I’m okay.”

“We’re pulling up outside.”

A sigh escapes Takana. “Okay. I’ll be up in a moment.”

Hanging up, Takana winds through the growing crowd waiting for the train and makes her way up the steps. 

Reaching the top, she glances around, looking for her brother and Morimoto’s cars, which are easy to find with how much they stand out. Taking a deep breath, she walks over, groaning when her brother levels a disappointed look in her direction when he sees her. 

Neela rushes over and hugs her. “I was so worried when you just disappeared from school.”

“Sorry, NeeNee.”

Releasing her, Neela links their arms and drags her over to the guys. 

“ _ What did you need to do? _ ” Takashi questions. 

“ _ Something important. _ ” Takana examines the area around them. “ _ Not something I can talk about here, though. _ ”

Takashi’s eyebrow ticks up, but he nods. “ _ Alright. _ ”

There are no further comments, though Morimoto does hug her and tell her not to disappear like that again. While it’s a bit annoying how worried they were, she understands why they were so worried. The last time she had disappeared from school, she had disappeared altogether for a week. 

Climbing into their cars, the four of them head over to Takashi’s office.

Once inside with the door closed, Takana reveals what she was doing.

“ _ Han has been making side deals, _ ” she states. “ _ I went to tell him to stop as well as pay back what he’s cheated you. _ ”

Takashi’s jaw clenches. “ _ How and when? _ ”

“ _ An exchange at his garage tonight at midnight. _ ”

“ _ You expect him to hold up his end? _ ”

Takana nods. “ _ I told him that if he didn’t, I would tell uncle. _ ”

“ _ Uncle will still be upset that this escaped my attention. _ ”

“ _ But it would be better to tell him that it was taken care of than to have him handle it and all of us face his wrath. _ ”

Takashi nods. “ _ The exchange will happen tonight. I want you and Neela to stay at our apartment. _ ”

“ _ Brother, I should be there. _ ”

“ _ Morimoto and I will go alone. _ ”

“ _ Without backup? I trust Han but not that much. _ ”

“ _ So who do you suggest taking? You and Neela are not going. _ ”

“ _ I’m the one that arranged this. I should be there. _ ”

“ _ I will not put you in danger. _ ”

“ _ I’m going and that’s final. _ ”

“ _ If I have to lock you in the apartment, I will. _ ” Takashi stares down Takana, daring her to continue arguing.

“ _ I can help! I have helped! _ ”

“ _ And I thank you for that, little sister, but as you said, Han is not to be trusted. _ ”

“ _ He won’t hurt me. _ ”

“ _ And how do you know that? _ ”

“ _ Because I’m friends with Reiko and Earl and even Twinkie. _ ”

Takashi’s eyes slide closed. He takes a deep breath and releases it as his eyes open. “ _ You will listen to my every command. _ ”

Takana nods. “ _ Of course. _ ”

“ _ Fine. We leave here at 11:30 with Ryō, Kenji and Kei. _ ”

Morimoto and Takana both nod.

“ _ Neela, I want you to stay here. _ ”

Neela looks as if she’s about to protest, but thinks better of it and just nods instead.

“ _ I trust you to take care of yourself but things might get messy. _ ”

Neela smiles. “ _ I understand. _ ”

With the plan set, Takashi calls in the three guys going with them and explains the plan. The three agree to be ready with their cars at the designated time then leave the room once again. 

As Takashi sits with Neela and soothes her worried state, Morimoto pulls Takana aside.

“ _ Do you have any sort of protection on you? _ ” he asks. “ _ In case things go sour. _ ”

Takana nods, holding up the necklace that Morimoto had given her over a year ago as an anniversary present. Hidden in the dragon and revealed with a pull of the tail was a small inch and a half knife. It wasn’t the most dangerous weapon, but in emergency situations, it would help her at least a little.

Morimoto smiles at the sight of the necklace then frowns. “ _ I think you should take something else. That won’t do much to anyone trying to attack you. _ ”

“ _ I’m not expecting anyone to attack me. It’s Han. He may be sketchy at best sometimes, but he’s not going to hurt me. _ ”

Sighing, Morimoto nods. “ _ Just be careful tonight, okay? _ ”

“ _ Of course, Mori. _ ”

Morimoto pulls her into a tight hug, one she’s sure is more meant to comfort himself rather than her. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she returns the hug will equal force, tucking her head underneath his chin.


	9. 九

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: All italic words are spoken in Japanese unless stated otherwise.

Even if Takana didn’t expect the exchange to go sour, pulling up to Han’s garage at exactly midnight was nerve-wracking. For all her bravado in front of her brother earlier, she was extremely nervous that Han would try to go back on his word.

All of the bays of the garage were open and Takana could see Han leaning on Sean’s red Evo, waiting for them. Upon further inspection, she could see Sean himself on the lofted part of the garage, as well as Twinkie, Reiko, and Earl. All of them looked somber, but tensed, especially as Takashi steps out of his car.

Takana steps out of her car, following Morimoto and Takashi into the garage. The other three stay by their cars as they were instructed. 

Takashi takes measured strides towards Han and punches him in the jaw, knocking him back against the Evo’s hood. “I vouched for you. I stuck my neck out for you. And this is how you repay me?”

Han sits up slowly, pressing the heel of his hand to his red and swelling jaw. “This ain’t the boy scouts. This is what we do.”

“It’s not what partners do.”

Han scoffs as he picks up the bag at his feet and shoves it at Takashi. Takashi hands the bag off to Takana, who walks back over to her car to count the money. 

It takes a few moments, but she eventually comes to the conclusion that the money is all there. Leaving it in her car, she walks back over to the group of Takashi, Morimoto, Han, and, frustratingly, Sean. 

“I thought we were friends,” Sean says, looking at her. 

Takana crosses her arms. “Just because I forgave you doesn’t mean we’re friends. Now stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m Han’s driver. I think I do have a say in this.”

Takana looks at Han. “What did I tell you, Han?”

Han mimics Takana’s pose, leaning against the Evo once more. “And I told you that I ain’t the kid’s daddy. He can do what he wants.”

“And what he wants is going to get him killed.”

Takashi steps in. “As amusing as this is, we need to go and get this in the system as well as get word to Uncle that it’s been taken care of.”

“He comes after me, our deal is off,” Han states.

Rolling her eyes, Takana responds, “You don’t heed what I say and I can guarantee life for you will be much harder.”

“Again with the threats, princess.”

“Not a threat.”

Turning on her heel, Takana makes her way back to her car and slides in, waiting for Morimoto and her brother, who throws a parting jab at Han, to climb into their cars before she starts the car and reverses away from the garage. As they pull out of the lot that houses the garage, Takashi takes the lead, followed by Takana with Morimoto behind her. The other three cars are in a random order, following behind until they reach the main streets of Tokyo, where they break off.

Pulling into the parking lot behind the casino that holds Takashi’s office, Takana steps out with the bag of money, handing it to Takashi as they take the back door into the building. 

Once in his office, Takashi pulls out the money and counts it again while Morimoto takes a seat on the leather chair against the wall beside Takashi’s desk chair and pulls Takana down to sit across his lap. Neela sits on the arm of the couch, holding Takana’s hand as they all watch Takashi. 

Once he’s counted the money, Takashi sets it aside and pulls out his phone, staring at the device as if working up the courage to do what needs to be done. Taking a deep breath, Takashi finally dials their uncle’s number.

“ _ Uncle, I wish to speak to you about something. _ ”

There’s a pause as their uncle responds.

“ _ Ah, yes. It came to my attention that my partner was making side deals and kept them from me. I apologize that this escaped my notice, but it has been taken care of and I have received all the money that he stole from us. _ ”

Another pause, this only longer. Towards the end of the pause, Takashi looks a bit shaken but keeps his cool.

“ _ Yes, Uncle. I understand. _ ”

A brief silence.

“ _ Goodbye. _ ”

Takashi sets his phone down and lets out a breath. Unshed tears shine in his eyes prompting Neela goes over to him and straddles him, pulling him into a hug. Takashi seeks solace in her embrace as he prepares to explain what their uncle had said.

“ _ Uncle will be by tomorrow evening to collect the money, _ ” he tells the room. “ _ And he said that if something like this happens again, for as long as this happened, that both I and the transgressor will not be let off so lightly. _ ”

Neela gasps at the declaration, and snuggles tighter into Takashi, burying her face into his neck. Morimoto and Takana, used to hearing things like this, even if it’s against their own, simply frown.

“ _ So we need to be meticulously when it comes to deals and collecting money and such, _ ” Takana states. “ _ That’s the only way this doesn’t happen again. _ ”

“ _ Or we trust no one except our own. _ ”

Takashi’s statement draws agreement from both Takana and Morimoto.

“ _ A mixture of both would be best, I think, _ ” Neela says, sighing as she sits up and shifts so she’s sideways across Takashi’s lap, facing Morimoto and Takana. “ _ Only trusting your own only goes so far. What if one of your own is the one ripping you off? You need to be meticulous to catch those things quickly. _ ”

Takashi nods. “ _ You are correct. _ ”

“ _ Me and Takana can watch the books for you, _ ” Neela states. “ _ I know you don’t want us in the middle of anything but I know I want to help and this way, we’re not in the middle. We’re behind the scenes. _ ”

Nodding, Takana says, “ _ Two sets of eyes will be better and this way you can focus on collecting. _ ”

“_I don’t want you two connected to this,_” Takashi shakes his head. “_In the end, we are doing something illegal here._”

“ _ We’ll be taken to jail no matter what, big brother. We know about the activities. Why not let us help and take some stress off of you? _ ”

“ _ Takashi is right, _ ” Morimoto comments, speaking up for the first time since they got back. “ _ You two shouldn’t be anywhere near any of this. _ ”

“ _ But we already are, _ ” Takana insists.

There is a tense silence as the four come to an impasse on the argument, neither side willing to budge. Both sides had a compelling argument that was hard for the other side to ignore and it made it so much harder to come to a decision or even a compromise on the situation. 

Takana finally sighs. “ _ Look, I understand that you two don’t want us in danger, but we’re not running things ourselves or collecting. We’d merely be keeping track of the money. You know this is beneficial for all of us. _ ”

“_She’s right,_” Neela says, grabbing Takashi’s hand from where it rests against his forehead. “_We’ll be here, hidden, and kept busy and kept out of harm. You guys have two additional sets of eyes to make sure nothing is going wrong._”

Takashi kisses Neela’s temple before stating, “ _ We will talk to Uncle tomorrow. If he thinks it is a good idea then I will allow it. Under one condition. _ ”

“ _ Whatever it is, we’ll do it, _ ” Takana responds and Neela nods, agreeing. 

“ _ I want both of you to be trained in case someone decides to target you. That means in weapons as well as how to keep yourself from being kidnapped and what to do if you are. _ ”

“ _ Of course, _ ” Neela says, smiling. 

“ _ It will be scary, _ ” Morimoto tells them as if trying to dissuade them.

Takana kisses his cheek. “ _ Nice try, Mori. We can handle it. _ ”

He sighs and rubs his face with both hands. “ _ Are you sure about this? Once you get involved, there’s no way out unless Uncle says so. _ ”

Takana, Neela, and Takashi all share a look. For as much as Morimoto is an asshole, he sincerely cares about those close to him.

“ _ Stop doing that look thing, _ ” Morimoto nearly whines, shoving his face into Takana’s shoulder.

Giggling, Takana reaches a hand over and runs it through his hair. Takashi and Neela are laughing as well and Morimoto cracks a smile as he finally pulls his head up.

“ _ So we’re all agreed? _ ” Takana finally asks, sobering the mood once again.

Takashi and Neela both nod so Takana turns to look at Morimoto for his decision. He’s frowning, brows scrunched together. After a moment, he nods, albeit a little hesitantly. 

“ _ It’s okay to be worried about us, _ ” Takana murmurs to him, “ _ but let us decide if we can’t handle it. We’re almost adults. We can make our own decisions _ .”

Morimoto sighs but nods again, pulling her closer and kissing her temple. 

“_So now that all that is done, I think that what’s best for all of us is to just relax and go home to sleep,_” Neela says, smiling. “_Three of us have school tomorrow._”

“ _ I agree, _ ” Takashi states.

Neela clambers off his lap then pulls Takana off Morimoto’s lap. Morimoto stands up as well and all three of them move out of the way so Takashi can put the money in his safe. With the money safely locked away, Takashi picks up his keys and motions for all of them to head out of the room with him following close behind.


End file.
